World | Pakistan

Beauty queen's calendar image draws hate titles

Mariah Moten, a dual nationality holder of Pakistan and the United States, who often manages to make space for herself in the international media with flamboyant visuals, has done it again.

By Amir Mir, Correspondent

Published: 00:00 January 23, 2007

Lahore: Mariah Moten, a dual nationality holder of Pakistan and the United States, who often manages to make space for herself in the international media with flamboyant visuals, has done it again.

This time Moten did it by appearing in the 'Sexy South Asian Girls of 2007' Calendar, featuring beauties from South Asia.

Starting right from her stint as Miss Pakistan in the Miss Bikini world Beauty Pageant held in China last year, Moten has been doing the rounds in the Pakistani, American, Indian and Chinese media as a highly controversial figure.

The 'champion' of subdued Pakistani women as she and her supporters consider her to be, is the Pakistani girl featured in a calendar that showcases Bangladeshi and Indian beauties too. Having won titles that are enough to set up a portfolio for her to move on with the pageant business - Miss Charity, Miss Tourism Queen International 2006 and Best in Media in the Miss Bikini contest, Mariah Moten has created more than waves and has recently landed in a bigger project.

She is a face in the www.DesiClub.com's debut calendar as Miss April.

This time, too, Mariah has made an attempt to create bold impressions all over. Standing amid splatters of water showing off her newly pierced navel, this April girl sure knows how to make a splash.

While a more serene Mariah is on the cover of the calendar with a quiet pout on her lips and wild hair scattered on her shoulders.

Mariah peers out of the calendar's cover with an expression of consternation.

Accusations and indictment? "Being un-Islamic, worth beheading, a humiliation, unpatriotic, alien to one's roots and even dishonour - whew! Mariah sure has her hands full of titles," says Sajid, 18, while gritting his teeth. "Just don't call her Pakistani."

A University of Houston student, majoring in Hotel Management whose family hails from Karachi, Mariah Moten has all the support she needs - her friends, family and of course her fans. "It is such a tragedy people still have to create such a ruckus about the whole affair. People all over the world know me as Miss Pakistan and that is how I wanted it to be: to be a peaceful ambassador of Pakistan."

"Who cares if she won a competition there and has her face on the calendar? Moten beauty queen or not, does not affect me or my surroundings in any way," shrugs Naila, 21, a university student.